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Saturday, May 18, 2013

Wreck of the Prince Rupert 1841

Prince Rupert, a British barque of 322 tons, Captain Ramage, was wrecked 4 September 1841 at the Mouille Point battery at 21h00 after entering the bay; she was on a voyage from London to New Zealand, carrying cargo. The wreck was mentioned in Cape Govt Gazette 1 October 1841; Shipping Register KAB CC 2/15.
The following report from The Sydney Herald Tuesday 23 November 1841:
WRECK OF THE PRINCE RUPERT.On the 4th September (1841), the Prince Rupert, from London, with one hundred and sixty passengersand cargo for New Zealand, in entering TableBay, about nine o'clock in the evening, ranaground on Mouille Point, stuck fast, and be-came a total wreck. When the Prince Rupertstruck, about fifteen minutes past nine o'clock,she was, on firing a gun, observed from theBucephalus, Indiaman, at anchor about twomiles from the point, within the Bay, and aboat under the orders of the Chief Officer, Mr.John R. Merewether, put off to render assistance.Mr. Merewether succeeded during the night inmaking three trips between the wreck and theBucephalus, bringing off thirty of the people,besides others that he put on board the boatsthat were near him at different periods of thenight. About five o'clock, fancying that somepersons still remained on board the Prince Ru-pert, Mr. Merewether proceeded to the wreck afourth time with a crew of seven men, the sur-geon of the Prince Rupert, and Mr. Frood, apassenger whom he had previously brought onboard the Bucephalus. When they came underthe stern of the wreck, a short sea broke overthe boat and nearly filled it, and the succeedingwave upset her, and this gallant and humaneyoung officer, with three of his crew, and Mr.Frood, perished in the surf among the rocks. Itis impossible to express the grief which theuntimely fate of this excellent young man hascaused on board the Bucephalus, where histalents, his many accomplishments, and hismost noble and generous disposition, had madehim the object of universal respect and affection.Of him, and of Mr. Fulcher, the commander,the numerous and most respectable company ofthe passengers by the Bucephalus, speak in thehighest terms of esteem; and Mr. Fulcherlaments the loss of his first officer and friend asthe severest calamity that could have befallen him.Mr. Merewether was in his twenty-fifth year.He was the son of Mr. Sergeant Merewether,Whitehall Place, London. In consequence ofrumours that the captain (who was second mateof the Julianna [sic], wrecked on the same spot lastyear) had wilfully lost the vessel, a court ofenquiry was held and from the report we givethe following extract :—"The whole of the pro-ceedings from the time of being abreast of Rob-ben Island until the vessel was on shore atGreen Point, we consider to be highly culpable,but we fully acquit Captain Ramage and his offi-cers of intentionally losing the vessel." Amongthe passengers were Mr Spain, the Commis-sioner for investigating Claims to Land in NewZealand, and Mr. Lizars, the Deputy SurveyorGeneral. Many of the emigrants had obtainedsituations at the Cape.http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/12872420

28 of those on board the Prince Rupert were conveyed after the wreck to Algoa Bay on the Conch, schooner of Captain William Bell, later Port Captain of Natal. Among those who travelled by the Conch may have been the three Hockey brothers, originally destined for New Zealand, who decided to remain at the Cape (Grahamstown).
The Grahamstown Journal 24 November 1842 referred to 'additions to the immigrant population of Algoa Bay' the previous year, noting 'per Conch the wrecked passengers ex Prince Rupert (28)'.See also: http://www.sagenealogy.co.za/WreckPrinceRupert.htm

Dimond, J.T. WRECKED UNDER THE GREEN POINT LIGHT, the background to the Green and Mouille Point lights and stories of six shipwrecks in the area. The stories of the building of the two lighthouses and of the wrecks of the Juliana (1839), Prince Rupert (1841), RMS Athens (1865), SS Thermopylae (1899), SS Aotea (1911), and S.A.Seafarer (1966).